Creating the perfect Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) keyboard is often a balancing act. If you have too many MMO and customizable keys, like SteelSeries' Shift MMO Keyset ($24.99 direct, 3 stars) it becomes a clutter of social quick keys, customizable macro buttons, and battle-ready action keys. On the other end you have the "bare-bones" MMO keyboards that sport a minimalist design coupled with software to develop macros. In between the battle of the buttons stands the Razer Anansi ($99.99 direct), a smartly designed wired MMO keyboard that couples solid software features and well thought-out button placement.

Design
Gaming devices have never been known for their subtlety, and the Anansi is no different. Its glowing keys pulse with changing colors that will help illuminate your gaming experience when you're in a dimly lit environment. The .86 by 20.3 by 7.5-inch (HWD) frame has a soft rubberized finish that will help stave off fingerprint smudges. The full-size keyboard has a traditional styleas opposed to chiclet-style keyboard like the Apple's Wireless Keyboard ($79 direct, 4 stars).

The font used on the keys have a more futuristic look that has a bolder presenceperhaps to highlight the glow-effect. The keys have a similar soft rubberized feel as the frame. The typing experience felt a little mushier than I'd like. It would have been better to have something a little lighter and bouncier, like the mechanical, typewriter-like keys found in the Razer Black Widow Ultimate or even the Gigbyte K8100 (stay tuned for the full reviews). The 12 programmable quick-keys are well-placed and easy to reach. There are five keys that run along the left side of the keyboard and seven more underneath the space bar. When playing World of Warcraft, I found the keys under the space bar to be the most useful, as it was easier to go from moving with the WASD keys to targeting and, ultimately, attacking with the quick-keys below.

The function keys double as media buttons to adjust your sound or play/pause, stop, or skip while watching a movie or listening to music. Additional function buttons allow you set the keyboard to "game mode," which disables the Windows button; adjust the brightness level of the backlighting; and enable "sleep mode," which puts the computer to sleep.

Features
The Anansi has plug-and-play capabilities and the added option to download Razer's software with any Windows XP, Vista, or 7 OS0sorry no Mac support. The Anansi's software is easy enough to navigate, having a full virtual layout on the keyboard in the user interface (UI). To change a key's preset function, you highlight the designated key on the virtual keyboard and select what function you'd like to assign to it. You may choose to have it launch a program, revert back to the keyboard's factory key setting, assign another key's function to it, switch profiles, or assign a macro.

The backlighting can be changed from the interface, from a "Spectrum Cycling" or to a specific color of your choosing. You can also set how bright you want it on or if you want it on at all. This backlighting feature can also help you recognize or keep track of what profile you're in.

Managing and creating macros (customizing key functions) is easy: You can record a stream of keys with or without time delays, and then go into the recording and insert a revised delay, delete, or change the key. The Anansi software also gives you a selection of basic commands, like cut, copy, and close window that should be more useful for the spreadsheet enthusiast.

If you're between game sessions or raids, you won't always have the opportunity to open up the macro editing program. That's why the Anansi has an on-the-fly macro editor. After pressing the Fn + ALT you may begin creating your key combination that will make up your macro. It does record delays. When finished, pressing the Fn + ALT keys again allows you to assign your string of buttons to any key on the keyboard.

The Razer Anansi is a well-designed MMO keyboard, with a well thought-out selection of quick keys in all the right places. While the typing expierence isn't as "springy" as I'd like, I consider it a minor nit in a great gaming keyboard, which is why it is our Editors' Choice for MMO keyboards.

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